By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Hebrews 8:13

In Hebrews 8 we come to the crux of the book. New covenant followers of Jesus in the 1st century worshiped in a distinctly different way from their Jewish neighbors. The Old Covenant ceremonies had a destiny to vanish, wear out, and disappear. The New Covenant has a destiny to endure and reach total consummation in the return of Christ. The blessings of the New Covenant continue to flow for God’s people, as the New Covenant moves towards its ultimate consummation. This is a great guarantee of Christ that He will build His assembly (Matthew 16:18). Nothing is outside of Christ’s jurisdiction, Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). This leads to two great aspects of life as New Covenant people. Since Christ promises to build His church, we have an opportunity to observe (witness) and be a part of that work (participate) in (first) the present, and (second) forward into the future.

I call these two realities the gospel spreading widely (in the present), and the gospel spreading forward (into the future).

The Gospel Spreading Widely (in the present)

When we think of the gospel going out into the world there are a great many things that come to mind. Missions efforts, evangelistic crusades, interpersonal conversations about Jesus, baptisms, testimonies, transformed lives, church plants, sermons, bible translation, and more. Often when we think of the gospel spreading, we think in the present sense. We consider the present global spiritual landscape and then carry on with that in mind. This is a good thing and is in no way worthy of critique. The apostles were dedicated in their lives (during what was their time in the “present”) to the spread of the gospel widely. They traveled afar, and had gospel conversations with people from dozens of cultures, lands, and languages.

The book of Acts notes in a very specific and detailed historical narrative how the good news of the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and yet to occur physical return of Christ spread throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Within the span of a single generation (40 years) the gospel had gone from 120 followers in the upper room prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:15), to tens of thousands of believers in nearly every extended border of the Roman empire and beyond, such as Ethiopia (see Acts 8:26-40).

The gospel goes forward widely in the present. And we participate in the gospel going forward widely today in each of our local cultures, lands, and languages. But the gospel doesn’t just go forward in the present. The great victory of Christ in building a church wasn’t limited to a single century of human history. Christ’s victory carries on throughout all generations. Until Christ returns to consummate in the fullest sense the marriage feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9) the church is moving forward into the future. The gospel goes out widely, and the gospel goes forward into the future one generation at a time.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. (Luke 1:50)

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:3)

All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring (Genesis 28:14)